Fountain-pen.



R. H. STEVENS.

FOUNTAIN PEN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.9, 1912.

1,080,176. Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

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ATES raraur RICHARD H. STEVENS, OF-SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO L. E.WATERMAN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FOUNTAIN PEN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Application filed January 9, 1912. Serial No. 670,226.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD H. S'rnvmvs, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Fountain-Pens, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to improvements in fountain pens and hasparticular reference to means for regulating the feed and flow of thelast few drops of ink in the reservoir.

In the use of fountain pens now in use, it has been found that the usershould not, to get the best results, allow the reservoir to becomecompletely exhausted for the reason that the air pressure is so greatupon the last four or five drops of ink as to cause it to flow toofreely and blot the work. In fact, manufacturers of fountain pens areparticular to request that the reservoir of the pen be not allowed tocompletely exhaust itself.

My object therefore is to produce a device which will overcome thesedifliculties and allow all of the ink to be used without allowing theexcess flow of the last few drops. Not that there is any economy inusing the last few drops of ink, but because it is unpleasant to havethe work disfigured by an excess flow of ink. I have discovered thatthis objection may be overcome by securing in the bottom of the inkreservoir a frame of some character, which shall retain, by capillaryattraction or otherwise, the last few drops of ink and allow it to begiven down to the pen gradually.

In using the word frame I do not limit myself to any particular form offrame or any particular material from which it is to be constructed forthe reason that I have dis covered that it may be of most any form or ofmost any material, and equally perform the function required. I havealso discovered that a piece of absorbent material, such as felt or thelike, may be employed to ad vantage.

Having the above objects and uses in mind, my invention thereforeconsists in the several new and novel features of construction andoperation hereinafter described, in

connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

Figure 1 is a view of a fountain pen. Fig. 2, the ink reservoir. Fig. 3,the pen-holding plug. Fig. 4, a longitudinal section through the plug,showing the ink channel and a preferred form of inkretaining-frame. Fig.5 is a view of the ink-retainingframe, detached. Fig. 6 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 4, cut away, and showing a modified form ofinleietaining-frame.

The fountain pen A- is composed of the usual reservoir l which may bethreaded, and the pen-holding plug 2-, which may be likewise threaded inorder to afford suitable connection between the two parts and forretaining them in operative position, the end of the plug -2- formingthe bottom of the ink reservoir when the pen is in use. The pen-holdingplug 2 may be constructed in any suitable way and has an ink channel lcommunicating at one end with the pen and its opposite end with the inkin the reservoir.

5 is a groove upon one end of the plug and serves to direct the ink fromthe bottom of the reservoir toward the channel l-.

Upon the end of the plug which forms the bottom of the reservoir, Ierect a frame 6, the word frame being used in the absence of some otherappropriate term, and consists, as shown in the drawings in Figs. 8, 4tand 5, of a piece of wire spirally wound and held in position byinserting the stem 7 into an opening in said plug. This frame mayconsist, as stated above, of a spirally wound wire, or it may consist ofan upright of some character, having off-sets 9 as shown in F ig. 6,adapted to attract to it the last few drops of ink in the reservoir andallow it toflow gradually through the channel 4 for the purposesindicated, and thereby prevent blurring and blotting.

Having described my invention, what I claim is A fountain pen comprisinga hollow body portion closed at one end, a plug for insertion in theother end, said plug having a substantially fiat circular inner end, theedge of which is in contact with the wall of the body portion andprovided with a relatively small In witness whereof I have hereunto setmy conduit, leading from the hollow body to hand this 5th day ofJanuary, 1912.

the pen, and a frame secured to the inner end of said plug and out ofcontact with the RICHARD STEVENS walls of said conduit, for exercisingcapil- Witnesses:

lary attraction to regulate the flow of the EUGENE A. THOMPSON,

last few drops of ink. E. F. TUCKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

